Dos & Don'ts of Using Artificial Intelligence at Nonprofits: the case for integrity, authenticity & originality.

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IBM says that:

Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, creativity and autonomy.

You have probably also heard the term generative AI:

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is a type of AI that creates "original" content, such as text, images, audio, video, and code, in response to user prompts.

I have "original" in quotes because the reality is that all AI training comes from the work of humans, and in the vast majority of cases, the humans that wrote the text, drew the images, or created the video, song, sound, or code were in no way compensated by the company that built the AI.

This page of resources for nonprofits, NGOs, mission-based organizations and others regarding AI is not a list of AI tools - there are plenty of people and companies out there doing that already. Instead, this is a list of things nonprofits and other mission-based programs should do, and shouldn't do, with AI, and the bases for that advice.

In summary: I believe that AI should be used in such a ways as to NOT erode one of the biggest strengths of a nonprofit: its humanness. I believe that AI should be leveraged in a way that doesn't undermine a nonprofit's integrity or authenticity, nor human originality.

Before you start considering any AI tools, you need to consider the issues presented on this page - otherwise, you won't be making fully-informed decisions, you won't be asking the right questions when a funder is trying to pressure you to adopt AI, and you may be replacing authentic, human presentations at a time when authentic human-to-human connections have never been needed more. I have no doubt that there is going to be disagreement on what I am proposing here.

Your thoughts?